Electric irons



D. G. SMELLIE ELECTRIC IRONS July 19, 1955 Filed Dec. 15, 1951 INVENTOH. Donald 6?. Smellie ATTORNEY.

United rates atent LECTRIQ IRGNS Donald 3. Smeliie, Canton, @hio, assignor to The Hoover (Zornpany, North Quit-oh, Ohio, a corporation of Ghio Appiicniion December 15, P51, Serial No. 261,859

Cinirns. (ill. fa -77) This invention relates to steam irons and particularly to a steam iron which is readily convertible to be used as a dry iron.

It has been found that the temperature control setting for a steam iron should be the same regardless of the type of fabric being ironed and that the quantity of moisture or steam supplied to the fabric should also be the same.

On the other hand, when the iron is being used as a dry iron the temperature control setting should be variable for the proper ironing of different fabrics.

According to the present invention an interlock is provided between the water valve actuator and the temperature control dial whereby it is impossible to open the water valve until the temperature control dial is set at the proper temperature for steam ironing. Con versely, the temperature control dial cannot be moved from the proper setting for steam ironing so long as the water valve is open.

Gther objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a steam iron of known construction partly broken away to show how the present invention is applied thereto; and

Figure 2 is a plan view of the control dial.

The steam iron as such may be of any suitable construction and may be constructed as shown and described in a copending application by John E. Vance, Serial No. 218,046, filed March 28, 1951.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 16 represents a sole plate having a boiler chamber 19' and steam passages leading to openings through the ironing surface such as disclosed in the above-mentioned ap plication.

A cover plate 11 is provided for the boiler and steam passages, the boiler and sole plate being heated by an electric heater 11. A water reservoir 12 of suitable construction is provided with a valve body 13, the lower end of which coacts with an opening in the cover plate 11 above the boiler chamber to form a fluid tight joint. A fill tube 14 is secured to the reservoir 12 and has a forwardiy extending fill opening 15. A valve stem 15 extends upwardly through the fill tube 14 and at its lower end cooperates with an opening in the valve body 15 to completely close off the interior of the reservoir 12 from the boiler 13 or to provide an opening of fixed size between them.

A cover shell 17 overlies the sole plate 10 and encloses the rese voir 12. The handle 18 is secured to the cover shell 17 in any suitable manner. The handle 18, cover shell 17 and reservoir 12 are secured to the sole plate 19 by a single bolt 19 which passes through a tube 20 extending through the reservoir 12 and is screw threaded into the sole plate 10.

The front leg 21 of handle 18 is hollowed out to receive the fill tube 14 and is provided with a top opening 22 to receive an actuator 23 for the valve stem 16. The actuator 23 is pivoted at 24 to a bracket 25 suitably secured to the top of the fill tube 14 and has a loose connection with the valve stem 16 at 26.

The valve stem 16 is held in its lowermost or closed position by an overcenter spring 27 connected at one end to the bracket 25 at 28 and at its other end to the actuator 23 at 29. A detent 39 on bracket 25 cooperates with an opening 31 in actuator 23 to hold the valve stem 16 in its uppermost or open position with the spring 27 just slightly beyond its upper overcenter position.

A thermostat 31' is mounted on the sole plate in a manner shown and described in the above-mentioned Vance application. The temperature setting of the thermostat 31' is controlled by a rotatable dial 32, suitably connected to the thermostat 31 and having the proper indicia thereon as shown in Fig. 2 to indicate the proper setting for the dry ironing of diiferent types of fabrics. As shown in Fig. 2, the dial 32 is also marked with an indicia steam, preferably in red, to indicate the proper setting of the thermostat for steam ironing.

Neat-the st am indicia the underside of the dial 32 is provided with a slot or opening 33 which cooperates with a detent 34, to prevent rotation of the dial 32 to other settings when the Water valve is open. The detent 34 is spring-biased to the left as viewed in Fig. 1 by a spring 35, positioned in a guide housing 36 spot welded or otherwise secured to the top of the cover shell 17.

The body of the detent 34 reciprocates in the housing 36 and is provided with a cam surface 37 which coopcrates with a cam surface 38 on a link 39 pivoted to the valve actuator 23 at 41 Operation As shown in full lines of Fig. 1, the water valve is open and the detent 34 is positioned in slot 33 of dial 32 to prevent rotation of the dial from the proper steam ironing setting. As shown in dotted lines the valve closed and the detent 34- is removed from the slot 33 to permit the dial 32 to be rotated to the proper temperature setting for dry ironing. Once the dial 32 is rotated from the position shown in Fig. 1 the water valve cannot be opened because the detent 34 will come into contact with the dial 32 and prevent it.

With the valve open and the dial 32 set for steam as shown in Fig. l the water valve may be closed by pivoting the actuator 23 downwardly. As the spring 27 moves past its dead center position it will snap the valve to closed position, raise the link 39 upwardly and remove the cam 38 from contact with the cam 37 of the detent 34. The spring 35 will move the detent 34 to the left and remove it from groove 33. The dial 32 may then be moved to the proper setting for dry ironing of any particular fabric.

Once the dial 32 is moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 the valve cannot be reopened until the dial is returned to the steaming setting.

While I have shown but a single embodiment of my invention it is to be understood that that embodiment is to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not Wish to be limited to the particular structure shown and described but to include only equivalent variations thereof except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. in an electric iron, a sole plate, a heater for said soie plate, a thermostatic switch for controlling the temperature of said sole plate, a manually actuatable control for adjusting the temperature setting of said switch, a boiler formed in said sole plate, a water tank associated with said sole plate, a valve for controlling the flow of water from said tank to said sole plate, an on-oif 7 detent means is spring biased to its non-locking position and movement of said valve actuator to its valve closing position moves said detent actuating means away from said detent means. v

3. In a steam iron having a thermostatic switch for controlling the temperature of the sole plate, a manually actuatable' control dial for adjusting the temperature setting oftsaid switch and a manually actuatable valve for controlling the flow of water to said sole plate; said dial having a plurality of settings for dry ironing and an onoff single setting for steam ironing; a manual actuator for said valve for selectively holding said valve in its open and closed positions and means actuated by movement of said actuator to its valve opening position for locking said dial at its steam setting.

4. In a steam iron having a thermostatic switch for controlling the temperature of the sole plate, a manually actuatable control dial for adjusting the temperature setting of said switch and a valve for controlling the flow of water to said sole plate; said dial having a plurality of settings for dry ironing and a single setting for steam ironing; an on-off actuator for said valve for selectively holding said valve in its open and closed positions and means coacting between said dial and actuator and operable to block movement of said actuator to its valve opening position until'said dial is moved to its steam setting. 7

S. In a steam iron, a sole plate, a heater therefor, a thermostatic switch for controlling the temperature of said sole plate. a rotatable dial for adjusting the temperature setting of said switch, said dial being provided with a plurality of settings for dry ironing and a single setting for steam ironing, a detent opening formed in said dial at said steam setting, a boiler formed in said sole plate, an open-closed valve for controlling the flow of water to said sole plate, a valve actuator for selectively holding said valve in its open and closed positions, a detent adjacent said dial and movable into said detent opening when said dial is at its steam setting, and cam means coacting with said actuator and actuatable by movement thereof to its valve opening position to move said detent into said detent opening to lock said dial in its steam setting.

6. In a steam iron according to claim 5 in which, said detent is spring biased to releasing position and said cant means is moved away from said detent upon movement of said actuator to its valve closing position to permit rotation of said dial to its dry settings when said valve is closed.

7 In a steam iron, a sole plate, a heater therefor, a boiler formed in said sole plate, a water tank overlying said sole plate and boiler, a cover shell enclosing said tank, a handle having front and rear'legs mounted on said cover sheil,,a thermostatic switch on said sole plate for controlling the temperature thereof, a control dial rotatably mounted on said cover shell between said front and rear legs and connected to said switch for adjusting the temperature setting thereof, said dial having a plurality of settings for dry ironing and a single set-- ting for steam ironing, an opening between the interior or" said tank and boiler, an open-closed valve for clos ing said opening, said front leg being of hollow formation and having a top opening, a valve stem extending upwardly into the hollow of said front leg, a valve actuator pivotally mounted in the hollow of said front leg and accessible through said top opening, said actuator being connected to said valve stem and operable in one position to close said valve and operable in another position to open said valve, a detent receiving opening formed in said dial at said steam setting,ta reciprocating detent mounted on said cover shell and extending from said 'ial into the hollow of said front leg and a cam arm carried by said actuator and operable to contact the inner end of said detent and press it into said detent re ceiving opening upon movement of said actuator to its valve opening position.

8. in a steam iron according to claim 7 in which said detent is spring biased to retracted position and said can: is moved out of contact with said detent upon movement of said actuator to its valve closing position.

9. In a steam iron according to claim 8 in which said cam comprises a lever having its upper end pivoted to said actuator on the opposite side of the pivot point for said actuator from said valve stem and with its lower end formed with a cam surface engageable with the inner end of said detent when said actuator is moved to its valve opening position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,342,653 Edwards Feb. 29, 1944 2,342,716 Woodman Feb. 29, 1944 2,411,199 Fclver Nov. 19, 1946 2,441,586 Morton May 18, 1948 

